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Jun 25, 08 - 03:30 pm Comment from: Me In LA

Yes, it fixes the stupid broken double-click to not open problem in 12.1.

CNET released this story yesterday.

I wish you guys would stop trying to say that iwork can replace office. It is a serious pain in the *ss to re-save your work every-time as multiple files so others can work with you. If iwork could just automatically save into word format it would eliminate the need. Until it does there will still be a need for office. Also, why doesn't apple create a single program such as Entourage for personal data organization. I notice Mobile Me will now have a web based interface that puts all of your data in a single application why not a desktop version. Call it Desktop Me to go along with Mobile Me.

Jun 25, 08 - 04:07 pm Comment from: Micro Me

Here we go again, MDN. Mac users are smart enough to know they don't need Windoze, but not smart enough to know whether or not they need Office.

Yes, I need Office. But I'm still not sure that "upgrading" to 2008 was a good move. It's as slow as a wet week.

Dump Office, get NeoOffice

NeoOffice is donationware/free, cross platform compatable, Office compatiable and more.

OfficeMac has had SERIOUS security issues for Mac users over the years, stuff that gave full access to the operating system and went undisclosed for decades!!!

Microsoft and Anger free for 20 years!!

Jun 25, 08 - 04:19 pm Comment from: JAYGEE

I have both iWorks, and Office 2008. I like them both. Office feels more bloated, but it runs fine.

I split the cost with my mum, as we both wanted Office. I want it, as I start Uni in September, and when I email my work, I'd like them to be able to read it.

I didn't pay for iWorks. I just used my mums disk, that she bought with her Macbook. Nothing wrong with paying for it once, and using it on two different machines, right?

Jun 25, 08 - 04:27 pm Comment from: MikeK

"Also, why doesn't apple create a single program such as Entourage for personal data organization."

--------------------------------

I agree 100%. Of course I use Mail, iCal and Address Book in favor of Entourage.. But it just makes so much more sense to have them combined into one app instead of three..

Jun 25, 08 - 04:31 pm Comment from: Buster

Crappy 2008 unexpectedly quits all the time....and no one I know uses 2008 for Mac or 2007 for Winblows which means I have to use a slower program which does not play well with others unless I save it in a dumbed down version.....

What was I thinking?

Jun 25, 08 - 04:38 pm Comment from: Micro Me

The 12.1.1 update won't load for me, even though I'm running Office 12.1.0.

Oh well, maybe 12.1.2 will fix the fix.

I said I needed Office. That doesn't imply enjoyment.

Jun 25, 08 - 04:52 pm Comment from: gorgalor

My life would be a living hell if I used iWork instead of Office. Numbers has as much computational power as an abacus. When it steps up as a real spreadsheet, can someone please pat me on the back and let me know? I love my mac. I hate iWork. I'm also not one to drink the kool-aid. My mind, my opinions, and my buying decisions are not based upon blind allegiance.

Jun 25, 08 - 05:08 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

It would be great to dump Office, but it's just not possible for many of us. I have a bug monthly spreadsheet that I have to use to create reports, and it only works on the *PC* version of office. Yes, the same drop-down menus that work just fine via VMWare/Office on XP are not even present when you open the same spreadsheet in Office 2008 for the Mac. How much chance is there that they'll work in any other app, like Numbers?
(None, I tried it)
So until I can convince my manager and my whole department to completely re-create this file, I'm stuck using Office for Windows.

All this begs the question - Why can't one Microsoft app open the same Microsoft file on the same Microsoft app on another OS...? That answer is:
Because Microsoft is run by a shaven chimp.

{sigh}

Wow™

Jun 25, 08 - 05:09 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Correction:
"I have a bug monthly spreadsheet"

Should be 'big'. But in my defense, it's *about* bugs, so I blame Freud.

Jun 25, 08 - 05:20 pm Comment from: AAPLguy

@ Middilay and MikeK,

I respectfully disagree. When OS X provided an addressbook that centralizes all contact information it eliminated the need to enter duplicate information in several different apps. It's nice that Entourage lumps 3 different programs together, but what about using fax software, chat software, business software (client billing)? Currently any application can use the OS X addressbook for it's contact information (though some still choose not to). It was my thought in the OS 9 days - "Why do I have to re-enter the same information in 5 different applications?" I would never go back.

Jun 25, 08 - 05:23 pm Comment from: AAPLguy

@ gorgalor

Have to agree with you about Numbers. It's a lot easier to make something pretty with it, but sadly it is not even close to Excel in computational abilities. Here's to hoping version 2 is a LOT more robust.

Keynote and Pages though are excellent.

Jun 25, 08 - 05:50 pm Comment from: DogGone

The last update of Office killed the apps. Not too sure why. I had to downgrade to get it to work again.

@C1

I agree - seamless behavior between the Win and Mac versions of office would be great. I'm sure M$ put in the special features into the Mac version just to piss us off.

Why they can just make the same program for the 2 platforms is beyond me.

Apple's iWork is okay if you are an American. I could never figure out how to change from the US dictionary to an Australian one. Perhaps Apple forgot that detail...

I gave up. The online help is crap, the manual is for kindergarten students and you can't password protect a document.

Maybe next time Apple. In the meantime I continue to use Office - I don't like it, but Apple need to get their act together...

Start using iWorks i.e Pages... after all where do you think M$$$$ GETS ALL OF THERE NEW IDEAS FROM?

And yes you don't really need "Word" anything!

Jun 25, 08 - 06:11 pm Comment from: qka

Many people believe they need Office, but, in reality, many don't. Do you need Microsoft Office or do you just think you do? Give Apple's free 30-day iWork '08 trial a try and find out.

I did that. Other than Keynote, it's not ready for prime time. Neither Numbers nor Pages can do the professional grade heavy lifting that Excel and Word can. For the home user, maybe.

I couldn't have done my grad school thesis in Pages. Too many tables of content, tables, figures, etc. Too many cross references. Too many other advance feature used that Pages doesn't have. However, my final presentation in Keynote looked great!

Apple, it's time to return the favor and steal some ideas from Microsoft!

You guys at MDN are seriously slacking! This was released yesterday!

Jun 25, 08 - 07:32 pm Comment from: Micro Me

These Office upgrade threads are totally predictable. MDN announces an upgrade and asks us if we need Office or just think we do. This is followed by various posters urging us to abandon Office and use Bean, Abiword, iWork, Open Office, NeoOffice, Kamakuza Office, etc. etc. and thus ascend to the Age of Enlightenment.

Yeah, like C1, I'd like to dump Office. In the meantime, I'm one of those who has to work in the real world (and, yep, that still means 95%+ Windoze workplaces), where the issue is not whether we need Office; it's how the MS MBU could make it suck less. Startup times somewhere south of seven years would be a good start. And upgrades that load would be nice too.

Grumble..... grumble.... grumble...... ah, I feel better now.

can someone wake me up when Pages comes with a fullblown Thesaurus? Thanks. Oh, and I need to be able to switch between English, French, Swedish and German...including dictionaries, that is. Honestly, I doubt that Pages will surpass Word as of the next 5yrs. Sure, Pages looks neat et al, but who the fouque cares when it comes down to work. BTW, Office 2008 is so much slower than 2004; if you can - stay with 2004! Honesty, I would be the first to jump ship when a professional competitor shows up. However, Pages doesn't cut it...so please MDN, shut up already.

Jun 25, 08 - 08:47 pm Comment from: ChrisW357

I wonder if there's an update to Automator included with this update. Hmmmm?

Hmmm... big iWork '08 ad as part of this article.

Tried it, didn't even come close to holding a candle to MS Office. Dumped that piece of crap (iWork).



MS Office on a Mac = Fun Productivity

"I agree - seamless behavior between the Win and Mac versions of office would be great."

Apple has a solution for you, it's called Boot Camp.

Jun 25, 08 - 10:47 pm Comment from: DogGone

"Apple has a solution for you, it's called Boot Camp."

I use that too, in coherence mode with Parallels. Got work to install windows XP, office and their VPN client. I also use the mac versions of office which is easier on the eye. I would prefer if the features were identical.

I'm past worrying about MDN's one-eyed view over Office versus iWork. I know what I need for work and what I use at other times. I use Office, iWork and Mellel. End of story!

My daughter spent the whole of last weekend preparing a PowerPoint 2008 presentation for school. The file then refused to open, and nothing that I did (even on trying to open the file on a native Windows-based laptop) would open the file.

The rescue came in from NeoOffice. It opened the whole file intact. I renamed it - at which point it opened natively in PowerPoint 2008!

BTW, if you're a student/parent of student in the UK, you can buy an authorised copy of Office Mac 2008 for £37 from software4students. That's a whole lot cheaper than iWork.

Jun 26, 08 - 12:14 pm Comment from: Tommy Boy

Grrr, grumble. I had to delete all of my Entourage keychain items and recreate them.

Even looks like I can quit and restart Office apps without having to reboot my Mac first.